Sabtu, 30 Maret 2013

How (and how not) to sneeze and blow your nose

Sniffling, sneezing, coughing and blowing my nose probably seem like second nature to you-and probably don’t put much thought into any of these “natural” occurrences. But maybe you should.

It is indeed possible to injure yourself by coughing and sneezing improperly, and as you blow your nose can affect the duration of your illness.

When sneezing and coughing dangerous tour

Back injuries are one of the most common “side effects” of sneezing and coughing. Sammy Sosa, baseball player knows this first hand. In 2004 when he played for the Chicago Cubs, two sneezes sent her back into spasms, forcing him to need a Chair to support himself. The injury–a sprained ligament in his lower-back forced him to miss part of the season.

A vigorous cough or sneeze attack can leave you with higher or lower back pain (spasms) due to their nature, not only on your entire trunk, but also on the abdomen. This pressure is so intense that it actually can herniate a spinal disc weakened.

As “A-Choo” safely

Just before you feel a cough or sneeze coming, take a few seconds to correctly position the back. Doing so will protect the back and help keep any existing pain to a minimum.

Lean back slightly and placing a hand behind his back for support. When you sneeze or cough, slightly bend your knees. You can also (rather than above) stand up straight against a wall or door to keep your back from lurching forward when you sneeze or cough.

Blow your nose: good or bad?

CommonSense tell us that by blowing your nose during a cold would help remove some bacteria or viruses in disease-causing mucus, then helps us feel better, faster. But it turns out that this might not be completely true.

According to Dr. Owen Hendley and a team of researchers from the University of Virginia and the University of Aarhus, in Denmark, blowing the nose can actually cause mucus to be propelled back into the sinus cavity.

Not surprisingly, blowing the nose creates an enormous amount of pressure in the nose-pressure over seven times more than is produced by sneezing or coughing.

The researchers put an opaque dye into the nasal cavity of 10 study participants in order to determine whether the fluid could enter the sinus cavities. Three of the volunteers was asked to cough, three were led to sneeze and four blew his nose. After measuring the movement of the fluid with a CT scan, Hendley says:

“The who coughed or sneezed, there was no dye in any of the sinuses. And in all four of those who blew his nose, there was dye in one or more of the breasts … with a shot to the nose, given the amount of pressure and how much time is left, you could pass a milliliter of nasal mucus into the sinuses. ”

The problem with this, Hendley said, is that “If” you propel mucus in your sinuses during a cold-I’m suspecting that it was-so not only is mucus but the mucus that is likely to contain bacteria, viruses and may also contain mediators.

“It seems that it is quite possible that if you blow your nose, then there is a potential you might be worsening cold weather,” he said.

How to properly blow your nose

Sometimes, though, the relief that comes from blowing your nose can be sufficient for you to potentially more cold duration of risk. When you blow your nose, there is a proper technique that you can minimise the risk of mucus traveling back up your breasts and to reduce the risk of injury.

When you consider that adults are blowing your nose an average of 45 times a day during the first three days of cold, proper technique might make a difference.

Blow your nose gently. Blowing too hard creates even more pressure that may force infectious mucus in your ears and sinuses. Avoid the shot “both nostrils-open”. Instead … Press with a finger over a nostril. Gently blow your nose into a tissue through one nostril. Move your finger to close the opposite nostril and repeat. Although you will feel more “stuffed-up” when you first wake up (after lying flat all night), do not blow your nose immediately. It is better to wait five or 10 minutes after been sitting upright before doing so. Drink plenty of fluids. This will make it easier for mucus to be removed by blowing gently. Blowing your nose after taking a hot shower can also help.